The man who police in Bend, Oregon, said “neutralized” the 16-year-old shooter who killed three children and a teacher Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School has been identified as 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, a law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News Digital.
During a news conference Friday, police identified the teacher who was killed in the shooting as 25-year-old Meghan Lambert, and also announced that among the youngest of the victims was 5-year-old Rhoam Summer.
“Meghan was compassionate and had a huge heart. She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs. She was an incredible sister, daughter, niece and granddaughter. Her friends became her family,” Lambert’s family said in a statement read at the news conference.
“Yesterday was a terrible day for our community,” Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said during the news conference. “Five people succumbed to their injuries at the scene, including the suspect.
“The deceased at the school scene included three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and one 25-year-old teacher. One 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were transported by Bend Fire to Saint Charles Bend with critical injuries.”
The 7-year-old is in serious but stable condition, and the 54-year-old teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Krantz said that at 12:58 p.m. a witness who was driving by the school saw the suspect throw his gun over a fence and then climb the fence onto school property. He said the witness confronted the suspect who then fired at his truck, hitting it at least three times. The driver, who was not injured by the gunfire, went down the street and made the initial 911 call at 12:59 p.m., he said.
Giamanco, who Krantz only identified as a “36-year-old man” during the briefing, drove into the school parking lot after seeing the suspect shoot at the truck, Krantz said, and saw the suspect shoot the glass panes on two double doors to get inside.
Once he was inside, the shooter went straight into the classroom that was to the left and fired as many as 15 rounds.
Krantz said the shooter used three types of ammunition and that all the victims were shot in the classroom.
Giamanco grabbed a .40-caliber pistol he legally kept in his car and went into the school through the same doors. After hearing the sounds of a shooting, he went into the classroom where he saw the suspect struggling with a teacher, who had tackled the shooter.
Giamanco shot him multiple times.
“In addition to the 36-year-old man who bravely stepped in to stop the suspect, I want to highlight another person whose heroic action we need to recognize,” Krantz said. “A teacher in the classroom threw her cellphone at the suspect, and then tackled him and fought to take the firearm from him.
“She was not injured in that incident, but she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”
Police arrived at the school within minutes of the 911 call at 1:02 p.m. having been told that the “suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him, shooting him several times,” Krantz said.
Earlier Friday, Kenda Freeman said in a statement that her son, Giamanco, intervened in the attack and shot the gunman who killed three students and a teacher, The Associated Press reported.
Giamanco, a local carpenter and dad, has two daughters who attend Silver Rail, his brother Kyle Gianmaco told NBC News.
Kyle shared that Kaylub is shaken by the event and doesn’t want to speak to the public.
“We want the bystander who intervened to know we know he is going through a rough time, but we are grateful, and we think he is a hero,” Lambert’s family added in the statement. “You selflessly put yourself at risk for others. We would like the other families to know they are in our thoughts and prayers. Megan loved those children, and so we will show you love for her.”
The shooter forced his way into the school by firing a shotgun at locked doors, Krantz said Thursday, citing the initial investigation.
He said the shooter fired as many as 15 times and had about 44 rounds remaining when he was killed.
On Thursday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised school staff, parents and first responders, along with the community member “who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life.”
Silver Rail Elementary School is a public school in the Bend La-Pine Schools District with roughly 400 students, kindergarten through fifth grade, and approximately 40 staff members.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price, and Fox News’ David Spunt and Bill Melugin contributed to this story.
